3Below: The Adventure Continues

Chapter 9: A Quest All of Your Own

Chapter 9: A Quest All of Your Own

Toby kept running, ignoring ARRRGGHHH!'s and Eli's calls to him. He ran and ran at a speed he never thought he had. However, his energy ran out as he finally stopped in his tracks, leaning forward as he put his hands on his knees. This allowed ARRRGGHHH! and Eli to catch up to him. When they did, they saw that Toby was trying to keep his tears at bay but was failing as he whimpered. ARRRGGGHHH! looked at him with sympathy as he quietly behind him with Eli following behind him, sharing the same look as ARRRGGHHH! "Toby? Are you okay?" Eli asked him, as he rub his hands, unsure of what to say. Toby said nothing as he kept his current position. Eli stood there in silence, thinking of what to say next. After a few moments, Eli found his words, "Look, Toby...don't listen to Steve. He didn't mean of what he said. He's just... overwhelmed and frustrated of what's going on and he took it out on you. I'm sure he regrets of what he said," he said to Toby, hoping his words will calm his shook-up friend. However, this only clouded Toby's judgement with doubt as Steve's words kept replaying in his mind. ARRRGGGHHH! noticed Toby's silence, "Steve wrong. Jim would never abandon us. None of them would ever abandon us. They will be back. You know this," ARRRGGHHH! said to him, hoping to get through his friend as Eli nodded his head in agreement. However, doubts continued to flow in his mind as he finally stood up straight surprising both Eli and ARRRGGGHHH! He stood there in silence with his face down, tensions growing. Toby sighed, "Are we sure about that?" Toby asked lowly. ARRRGGHHH! and Eli stood there in shocked as turn to face one another before turning back to Toby, "We haven't heard from them in weeks...not one of them. We don't know where they are, what they're doing, how they are,....nothing," Toby added, still not facing them, "Toby, you know Jim better than any of us. You know that he'd never abandon us, especially you. He'd do anything for you and us," Eli said to him attempting to reason with him. However, he wasn't getting through to Toby at all, "Even if that's the case...why did he think I could protect Arcadia?" Toby asked them, unconvinced of Eli's words. ARRRGGGHHH! and Eli stood there in shock at his notion. "I've got weight problems, I'm clumsy, and let's face it, I'm not as brave as Jim. I'm a wingman, not a leader! Heck, I'm probably not even that! You know what I am?! A screw up!" "Toby!" Eli tried to get a word into him, but Toby wasn't listening as he continued, "Which leads to the next thing..." he said suddenly starting low and dangerous. He then suddenly spins around and look directly at ARRRGGGHHH! "Why did you stay with me!?" he yelled at ARRRGGHHH!. ARRRGGHHH! stared at Toby, flabbergasted at his friend's behavior, not sure what to make of it as Toby stood there waiting for his answer. "What?" he uttered as he started to find his words once more, "You heard me! Why did you stay?!" Toby asked once more. "You know why. I stay to help. To protect Arcadia, together," ARRRGGHHH! answered him, calmly. However, this didn't satisfy Toby one bit. If anything, it made him even angrier, "WELL, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE STAYED! YOU SHOULD'VE GONE WITH THEM! HELP THEM! THEY COULD'VE NEEDED YOU!" Toby yelled at him. ARRRGGHHH! cowered back slightly at his friend's intense anger but this didn't last long as he regain his composure and kept his temper in check, not wanting to get mad at his friend, "You needed me more. You needed help. My choice, remember?" ARRRGGHHH! reasoned back to him in desperation, trying to get through to him and break his anger. Toby said nothing as he lowered his head down. He stood there in silence for a moment before he spoke, lowly, "You don't get it, do you? Our "friends" went away to find a heartstone that some jerkish wizard claimed to be in New Jersey. Do you know how far that is, ARRRGGHHH!? It's over 2,000 miles away," Toby said to him as ARRRGGHHH! stood there in shocked, "Actually it's a little over 2,700 miles away, since they're walking" Eli piped in. However, he soon found that to be a mistake as Toby glared at him dangerously. Eli cowered back when he saw his friend's face, unsure if he should stay where he is or run behind ARRRGGHHH! for protection, "Sorry," he said to him quickly as he grabbed his arm with his left hand, "That was very unnecessary," he added. Toby said nothing as he inhaled harshly and shut his eyes, as if he's using all his will power once again to keep him from screaming out in anger, "However far New Jersey is from here, doesn't matter. What matters is...they maybe gone for a long, long time," Toby finally said lowly. ARRRGGHHH! stood there as he saw the big picture and why his friend was now truly upset, "Now you get it, ARRRGGHHH!? We may never see them again. That's why you should've went with them. To be with your own kind....not with me," Toby said to him. ARRRGGHHH! looked at his friend in utter shock as he said this, "And that's why Jim should've left someone else to protect Arcadia," Toby finally said sadly, once again shocking his friends. He then turned around, hugging himself, intending to walk off that is until he spoke once more, "Tell Steve he can protect Arcadia," "Toby!" Eli said to him in shock, but Toby wasn't listening, "He'll be much better at it than me," Toby said finally before he started walking off, broken. ARRRGGHHH! and Eli stood back in shock at what just happened before them, not sure what to do. "Wingman," ARRRGGHHH! said softly, upset for his friend. Suddenly, Eli's expression changed from shock to anger. He growled slightly, "Come on, ARRRGGHHH!" Eli said to the giant troll as he headed back into the woods. ARRRGGHHH! turned around to face the boy in question for his behavior, "Where you going?" ARRRGGHHH! asked him, confused by his sudden actions. Eli stopped in his tracks to face the giant troll, "To find Steve. He needs to fix what he's done," Eli said to him in a dangerous tone. With that, ARRRGGHHH! nodded at him with a look of determination on his face as he followed the small boy back into the woods to find Steve.